The search for an interim superintendent of the Washington West Supervisory Union has ended with the hiring of local resident Dr. Richard H. Moser.

Moser, a longtime resident of Waitsfield, retired as superintendent of the Chelmsford, MA, public schools in 2007 after 17 years of service. Prior to his tenure in Chelmsford, Moser was the superintendent of the Washington West Supervisory Union from 1986 to 1990.

His experience includes positions as elementary and middle school principals, elementary school teacher and as a Peace Corps volunteer teacher. Moser's educational credentials include a master's degree and a Ph.D. in educational administration from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Moser said he "hopes to help the school system maintain what's positive about WWSU, not lose any ground, and move forward in a positive direction."

Ann Griffin, chair of the WWSU board, reports that everyone who met Dr. Moser during his visit to the district was overwhelmingly positive in favor of his selection and the WWSU board voted unanimously to offer Moser a contract for the 2008-09 school year.

Griffin said that board members felt very fortunate to find an interim with Moser's depth and breadth of experience and they were impressed with what he accomplished during his long tenure at Chelmsford.

According to Griffin, the WWSU community was interested in finding an interim who would continue the collaborative efforts across schools that marked Bob McNamara's tenure. She added that Moser's extensive background would be an asset in achieving a seamless transition for the many ongoing programs in WWSU and also in assisting the district with the next superintendent search.

The search for a full-time superintendent ended in February without selecting a candidate. The search committee, with the assistance of a search consultant from the Vermont School Boards Association, interviewed four candidates but decided that none were a good match for WWSU at this time.

Joe Silver, the VSBA consultant, states that this is not an unusual outcome and encouraged the district to pursue an interim for the upcoming year. Another search committee will be formed in the fall to begin the search for a full-time superintendent to succeed Moser, according to Griffin. Moser will start his new duties in WWSU on July 1, 2008.

Moser also said he would be willing to assist WWSU as they continue their search for a permanent superintendent, which he thinks will probably resume in December of January.

"It's important to include everybody in the process" Moser said. His interview process included interviews with community members, teachers and board members. Moser said he hopes to continue with his predecessor, Bob McNamara's "collaborative leadership style."